Melt the butter in a small saucepan and add the onion. Cook over a low heat for 4–5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the salt, cream, bay leaf, and cloves, and cook for a further 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, and allow to stand for 20 minutes, so the flavours have time to infuse. (This can be prepared ahead and left to infuse, or the complete sauce can be made in advance. Cover the surface of the sauce with cling film to prevent a skin forming. Refrigerate for up to 2 days. When ready to use, remove cling film and gently reheat).

Discard the bay leaf and cloves, then pour the onion mixture into a food processor, and blend to a smooth purée. If you do not have a food processor, very finely chop the onion instead of slicing.

Place the breadcrumbs and milk in a pan, and bring to the boil. Leave to simmer for 5–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, to make a smooth, thickened sauce. (If you feel the sauce is too thick, then add a little more milk.)

Stir in the onion purée, season to taste with salt and pepper, then sprinkle with nutmeg.

Place the sugar, powdered glucose and 150ml water in a large, heavy-based saucepan on a medium heat and bring slowly to the boil, stirring all the time until the sugar dissolves. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10–15 minutes, without stirring, until a sugar thermometer dipped into the mixture reads 121°C.

Place the egg whites in a large bowl and once the sugar syrup temperature reaches about 110°C begin whisking them to stiff peaks in an electric food mixer on a low setting. Once the syrup reaches its final temperature, pour about a quarter of it, in a slow, steady stream, into the egg whites, continuing to whisk.

Immediately return the remaining syrup to the heat and continue to cook, without stirring, for about 5 minutes or until the thermometer reads 149°C all the while continuing to whisk the egg whites on a slow speed.

Again once the syrup reaches the right temperature; pour it carefully and in a slow, steady stream into the whisking egg whites. Continue to whisk the egg whites for about 30 minutes until stiff and halved in volume. Scrape down the sides of the bowl every so often with a palette knife or spatula dipped in boiling water.

Cover the bottom of a 25 x 15cm cake tin with half the rice paper. Stir the nuts into the fully whisked nougat mixture, mix well and pour into the prepared tin. Working quickly, spread evenly using a palette knife or spatula dipped in boiling water. Place the remaining sheets of rice paper on top to cover, pressing down to stick.

Allow to cool and then place in the fridge for 4–6 hours or overnight until set. Remove the slab of nougat from the baking tin and cut into about 36 fingers.

Store in the fridge, wrapped individually in parchment paper or cling film

Peel and mince the garlic. Using the flat side of a large knife, crush the garlic. Place in a small mortar and pestle and add ½ tsp salt and smash into a paste.

An alternative to save time is to use a good garlic press that peels and mashes the garlic in one step. Either way, you can use a mortar and pestle to mash the garlic into a paste.

Crack the eggs and separate the yolks into a small mixing bowl. Transfer the garlic paste to the bowl and whisk to blend. With a hand mixer on low speed, slowly pour in the olive oil in a THIN, steady stream until a creamy sauce forms. Add the touch of lemon juice slowly at the end, while keeping the mixer on to ensure that the sauce stays smooth.

Serve it with meats, fish, or vegetables – or just spread it on crusty bread

Place a small pan of water on the stove and once bubbling pop the beans in for 2-3 minutes, drain into a colander and refresh under cold water.

Place a large frying pan onto a medium heat and add the basil infused oil. Then add the bacon and shallots and cook for 5 minutes until soft and the bacon has crisped up a little.

While this is going on add the sliced garlic and fry for a minute or so until you have a wonderful aroma of bacon, garlic and shallot. By which time add the beans and cook for 2-3 minutes along with the fresh thyme. Once you feel the beans are hot enough, season to taste and serve garnished with toasted pine nuts.

To make the teriyaki sauce, combine the brown sugar, mirin, sake and soy sauce in a small bowl and stir to combine.

If your steak is very lean, rub a teaspoon of oil onto each steak. If the steaks have a lot of fat marbled in with the meat they shouldn’t need any oil. Heat a heavy bottomed frying pan over high heat until very hot. Add the the steaks and sear one side until browned.
Flip the steaks over and sear the other side. If you want your steaks medium rare, reduce the searing time, if want your steaks well done, increase the searing time.

If you have oil pooling in your pan, drain the excess oil. Pour the teriyaki sauce into the pan with the beef, and let it boil.

Flip the steaks over repeatedly until the teriyaki sauce is very viscous and coats each steak in a thick shiny glaze. Transfer the steaks to a cutting board and let them rest for a few minutes.

In a bowl, mix together melted butter, eggs, and milk. Beat well.
Soak bread in egg mixture and place on a cookie sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray.
If there is any dip left, you can drizzle it over the sticks.
Bake for 25 minutes on middle rack of oven. Turn halfway through baking time.
Allow to cool.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan or saucepan and cook the spring onions over a medium-high heat for a few seconds. Add the rice and cook over a low heat for about 1 min, stirring all the time until the rice looks glossy but not brown.

Add the garlic and mushrooms, then pour in about half the hot stock and stir well. Cook over a medium heat for 20-25 mins, stirring often and gradually and adding the remaining stock a little at a time until the rice has absorbed all the liquid.

Check that the rice is tender. It should have a nice creamy texture. If it needs cooking for a bit longer, add a little more hot water.
Add the peas, stirring gently to mix them in. Check the seasoning, adding some pepper if needed.

In a large, heavy-based frying pan, heat the butter and oil. Cook the onions slowly until transparent and soft.
Add the potato slices and fry gently for two minutes.

Stir in the spinach.

Season the eggs with salt and freshly ground black pepper and pour onto the contents of the frying pan.
Cook over a low to medium heat: it may take up to ten minutes until the egg is set enough to turn the tortilla over, and if the heat is too high, the bottom will burn before the middle is set.

Once the bottom is nicely browned and the centre has set, it is time to turn it over. This is done with a double flip: place a plate (or the bottom of a tart tin) over the pan and flip it over once, so that the cooked surface of the tortilla is on the bottom. Take another plate, and flip it again so the cooked surface is on the top. Then place the frying pan back over the tortilla plate and flip one more time, so the uncooked bit is now in contact with the base of the pan.

Replace the pan over low heat until the tortilla is cooked through.
Serve hot, warm or cold, cut into slices or cubes.

Cream the butter, vanilla seeds and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.

Lightly beat the eggs and add them a little at a time to the mixture, mixing again with the electric mixer after each addition until all are incorporated.

Finally sift the flour and baking powder and fold into the batter, along with the orange zest and orange oil/essence.

Divide the mixture between the six cases and fill ¾ full. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 20-25 mins or until a skewer comes out of the cake clean. Place on a cooling rack.

To make the frosting

Mix the two types of cheese with an electric mixer to soften. Then sift in the icing sugar and fold in.

Grate in the orange zest and add the orange oil/essence and gently fold until you have a smooth mixture. Add a tiny amount of orange food colouring paste if using (a little on the end of a cocktail stick is a good way to do this). Fold again to add a splash of orange to the frosting.

Pipe or spread the frosting with a small palette knife on top of each cooled cupcake.

To decorate

Using a zester, remove thin strips from your oranges to make candied orange strips. Place the water and 100g sugar in a pan and heat to boiling, once boiling add the strips of orange zest, reduce the heat and allow to simmer for 10 minutes, remove from the heat. Place the remaining 50g caster sugar on a plate, and remove the strips with a fork, a few at a time, lightly coat in the caster sugar. Place on a lined baking sheet for 1 hour to dry out.

Once your cupcakes are frosted, place a few strips on top to decorate.

in a saucepan melt the butter, then stir in the brown sugar. Pour into the greased tin.
Arrange the peach slices into the mixture ( butterscotch).
Cream together the butter & sugar until light & fluffy, then slowly beat in the eggs (1 at a time), adding a little flour each time.
Fold in the rest of the flour.
Pour the mixture on top of the peaches,spreading evenly.
Bake for around 30 mins.
Leave to cool for around 10mins before turning it out onto a plate.
Serve warm.